


At the Sign of the Eclipse

by LittlePinchOfEverything



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Based on Pathcodes, Found Family, M/M, OT12 - Freeform, POV Multiple, Reunions, Temporary Amnesia, Trying to link the theories
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-08
Updated: 2019-04-09
Packaged: 2019-10-06 17:26:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17349470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittlePinchOfEverything/pseuds/LittlePinchOfEverything
Summary: Yixing is determined to find his family, but the world is endlessly big and it is a job that seems impossible, and is, until certain events unfold meaning each member is forced to discover secrets that have been locked away for years.Can they find each other in time before the world they live in becomes nothing but dust?Following the pathcode teasers and OT12 (cause I miss them all), EXO are thrown back into the world they left in a moment of crisis.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This fic will deal with some anxiety and depression, as well as PTSD. Please be careful if these are triggering, I will put trigger warnings where appropriate. It will still be mainly fluff and feels.
> 
> This is my first EXO fic and I hope to do them justice, please leave reviews and kudos if you liked (or didn't) because I crave that sweet validation/constructive criticism

A brush of hands on the New York subway as the carriage gets too packed. The awkward smile of apology, followed by a quick look down, the slight jump of the heart ignored.

The shout of an order as a cardboard cup is moved from one set of hands to another, the spark passed off as a mere electric shock.

A fleeting glance as eyes meet across a busy street, quickly broken as the other disappears into the flow of the crowd, the sudden surge of loneliness shrugged off. 

The awkward first meeting, the handshake, the introduction, the strange feeling that they’ve seen each other before, forgotten in a flash.

The passing feeling of attraction towards a stranger sitting on the bus, quickly pushed aside as they step off without looking back, not knowing.

Noticing a bright smile of someone on the street, changing the mood of those who surround them, washing away any lingering feelings of sadness. 

Moments such as these occur every day. Most take no notice or pay no attention to these feelings as they go about the rest of their day. Moving forwards and moving on. But Zhang Yixing couldn’t ignore them. He took track of each movement, each flicker of recognition, each sharp intake of breath. He memorised and scrutinised each facial feature, looking for familiarity in the unknown. After four years, most people would have given up, but he wasn’t most people. He still had faith; he knew that he would find them, eventually.


	2. London

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go. Into the actual story!  
> I hope you guys enjoy. Be warned, there is a description of a panic attack in this chapter  
> Happy reading x

Jongin couldn’t get rid of the feeling that someone was watching him. For the entire day as he walked from class to home he felt eyes on him but every time he looked around, he couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary, only the busy streets of London swirling around him. 

The feeling had started in the morning as Jongin first stepped out of his flat to make his way towards uni. As he locked the door he felt his neck prickling with the weight of unseen eyes and he stifled the urge to rub the spot the eyes had focused on. He turned around, saw an empty street and shrugged the feeling off. He did live in the centre of London, a place where there were always people, who sometimes couldn’t help by staring, so he forgot about the feeling, starting his walk to the closest tube station. 

Getting on the tube in the morning was always an experience, Jongin never knew what the crowd was going to be like. Sometimes the tube was almost completely empty, and sometimes packed, it depended on how well he had timed it. Today, he hadn’t done it well. Now, Jongin wasn’t exactly short, but somehow he always seemed to get stuck underneath someone’s armpit, not being able to move an inch with people pressing in on all sides, and usually he didn’t mind, he had gotten used to the feeling but today he just felt particularly claustrophobic. The tube carriage seemed too small, the people around him too big, the recycled air in short supply as he started taking slightly shallow breaths. The door pinged open and Jongin looked up, gratefully recognising his stop, and began elbowing through the throng of people to get out. Once he was back in the fresh air, he found himself breathing properly again, the claustrophobic feelings dissipating with every breath in and out, but the heavy weight of eyes never seemed to leave. Jongin continued to ignore the feeling and started towards the exit, mentally preparing himself for the long day ahead.

Usually Jongin enjoyed his time at uni, his dance course being everything he could have hoped for. When he was dancing, he forgot everything else in the world, it was just him and the music which flowed like a river through his limbs. His teachers called him a natural, his fellow students a fluke, he just knew how he felt. He felt as if he had been dancing for his entire life, apparently he used to dance around the foster home just to bring the other kids joy. Jongin always felt as if a part of him was missing, but when he danced, that all fell away. The mystery of his forgotten childhood and parents became merely a small part in the grand scheme of the universe, and while he danced the universe moved around him. He wasn’t Kim Jongin, the boy who had been found wandering the streets with not a single memory of how he got there or who he was, he was just himself, just there in that moment, and it was the best feeling in the world.

“Yo, Kim!” Jongin stuttered to a stop, the music still blaring as he turned to face the now open door.

“It’s getting a little late, no? Maybe it’s time to start heading home.” The figure stepped forward, into the light of the studio, the lithe figure of Jongin’s best friend, Caitlin, coming to light. He smiled wide, flashing his bright teeth and turned off the music. Whenever he was working too late, Caitlin would turn up and scold him until he went home, just as he would do with her if she seemed completely absorbed in mastering a specific step. She was one of the first real friends he had and she had stuck by him in all his moments, even when he just disappeared for a few weeks without telling anyone.

“Hey, earth to Jongin! Are you listening?” Caitlin said again, noticing the faraway look in her friend’s eyes. It was a look that was present quite often as Jongin’s mind was often preoccupied or surfing the strands of dreams.

“Sorry Cait,” he said, shaking his head, “got lost for a second. What did you say?”

Caitlin laughed and shook her head fondly. “I was wondering if you were free this evening? Me and the others were planning to get smashed at the flat and then try and find a cheap-ish club to go to. You up for it?” 

Jongin shook his head, and smiled sadly, “I think I’m gonna have to say no. I still haven’t finished that practical report which is due in a couple days. I was going to spend my evening doing that.”

Caitlin winced sympathetically. “Ew, yeah, okay. That would make sense. Text me if you need any help? I got mine done a couple days ago.” 

“Thanks. I will. Be careful tonight, yeah?”

“Yeah, got it. Love you, see you later!” And with those last words she spun out of the room and started down the hall. Jongin chuckled fondly at her energy and started to pack up his things, an uneasiness settling in his chest at the thought of having to walk alone again, but he pushed it to the back of his mind. After throwing on his coat, he reached into his pocket and pull out a silver chain with a pendant on it and placed it over his head. It was the only thing he had from before, whatever before was. Once it was situated on his chest, Jongin left the room, turning the lights off behind him. He started the trek back home.

He felt antsy, paranoid, the entire way back. The feeling from this morning even more prominent. He couldn’t shake the feeling at all, frequently looking behind him in an effort to check if anyone was following him. Nothing. Jongin let out a shaky breath and started to walk faster, speed walking his way home, managing to do the journey in record time. 

Once he had let himself into his small flat, he collapsed against the door, struggling to find his breath, the anxiety of the journey coming back and hitting him headfirst. Jongin struggled to remember the breathing exercises Caitlin had taught him for whenever he felt this overwhelmed, but was unable to. His breaths got heavier in his chest as he felt a weight pressing him down. Suddenly a deep voice echoed through his head, calmly telling him to breathe in for 8, hold for 4 and out for 11 and Jongin did his best to follow the instructions. He continued to breathe, listening to the soothing tones of the man. They felt familiar, as if someone had once said this to Jongin to help him, but he couldn’t think of who. None of his friends sounded like this or provided this type of comfort, the voice acting like a warm blanket, covering Jongin and keeping him safe. Once he had calmed down, the voice started to slip from his mind, and Jongin did everything in his power to hold onto the sound, but it was soon gone, faded back into his mind like a dream in the morning hours. He sighed in frustration and pushed himself up the door, his legs still a little weak, muscles quivering, and started to head for the roof, needing to be outside to sort through his thoughts. 

The stairs took a little longer than normal, Jongin having to lean heavily on the banister, but once he had pushed the heavy door open and was standing underneath the night sky, he felt better. Each new breath lessened the weight that still sat on his chest, until he breathed completely freely. His face was turned up to the night sky but his eyes were closed so he didn’t notice the darkness which fell upon the lights of London. An unnatural stillness enveloped the city and a presence started to make itself known to Jongin. Slowly opening his eyes, he was confronted by an eerie shadow obscuring the moon’s light. He wondered why he hadn’t seen any information on the possibility of an eclipse on the news and he stared up in awe. It seemed special, different in a way that he couldn’t explain. He momentarily looked down and noticed a light emanating from his necklace, the charm glowing softly in order to grab his attention. In confusion, he lifted the necklace from around his neck and gazed at it, eyebrows furrowed in concentration as he looked at the charm from all sides. When turning it over he noticed a series of numbers on the back – coordinates perhaps? - and he was certain that they weren’t usually there. As he stared, there was suddenly a loud crack and Jongin disappeared from the rooftop.


	3. Barcelona

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Moving on to the next member!   
> Zitao has always felt as if something was missing, but he couldn't quite figure out what until it happens.
> 
> Sorry for the delay, I'm a terrible procrastinator who goes to uni and has no time...  
> Hope y'all enjoy x

Life’s not too bad, Zitao thought as he opened the newspaper that someone had left behind on his table at the café he usually frequented. The sun was shining outside and he had just given in one of his papers which would count towards his final drama degree and consequentially was basking in the feeling of freedom that accompanied the thought of having no work for a while. He had given himself the day off, even though he still had to prepare his practical piece and rally the mismatched group of people that had been shoved together in order to actually have a group performance to show in a couple weeks, but he let these thoughts slip out of his mind as he basked in the sunlight and soft hissing of the coffee machine. The café he was sat was just off a main street in Barcelona, so it was never too busy. There was a soothing atmosphere which was built by the low murmur of voices and constant ticking of the clock. It was enough to make sleep pull at Zitao’s subconscious, the missed hours of sleep finally making itself known, but he chased it away with another sip of espresso, not willing to go back to his flat quite yet to have a nap. It was too nice of a day. He looked down at the newspaper again and scoffed at the title of the article. It spoke of an alien sighting just outside of Barcelona and it made him think about his sister, well adopted sister. 

When Zitao was found by his parents in their yard, he was 16 years old and Renata was only 12. The fact that Zitao had no memories of how he got there didn’t help, and so Ren was absolutely convinced that he was an alien. This meant that every time there was a clear night, Ren would drag Zitao out of bed and under the night sky, telling him all she had learnt about the stars and the planets in her whole young innocent glory. Zitao would stand for hours and listen to her talk, filling in the gaps when Ren’s excitement got the better of her, using his own limited knowledge to help. It was one of his favourite things, watching Ren’s eyes light up and reflect the stars that were in the sky. The image always seemed so familiar to Zitao, another set of eyes lighting up with passion replacing those of small Ren, but these would quickly fade. Zitao always thanked the heavens that the García’s were so willing to take him in. It would have been so easy to merely hand him over to the closest foster home, but they didn’t and soon they were family, the only family Zitao knew. Now he was 20 and Ren was 16, and while she no longer avidly believed that Zitao was an alien, her love for space and the stars never diminished. Every time Zitao found himself wandering back home for a meal that didn’t consist of instant ramen or microwaveable food, Ren was there to greet him with a bright beaming smile and a new fact about the universe. Her knowledge had long surpassed Zitao’s and so now he just listened with interest, nodding along even when the concepts went over his head. The conversations were always his favourite part about coming home, the familiarity of her voice wash over him and pull at the edge of his memory but he always pushed it away in favour of listening, not wanting to miss a single word. It wasn’t that he didn’t care about what happened to him only that he thought his life wasn’t lacking because of it. He had moved on, building new memories to fill the hole left behind by the missing ones; he grew up, cherishing his family as much as possible lest he lost them as well. 

Zitao made a mental note to visit them soon, it had been awhile what with the large amounts of work he was receiving from his lecturers now that he was in his second year, work that actually count this time around. He picked up his cup again only to find it empty. Slightly saddened by this fact, he replaced the cup and folded over his newspaper, deciding that this was a good time as any to leave. As he stood up he noticed that it was starting to get dark outside even though it was just after lunch. He blinked his eyes, wondering if he was going insane and walked towards the large window placed at the front of the café to glance outside and justified that yes, the sky was getting darker as a shape started to move in front of the sun. His first thought was to Ren, trying to remember if she had said anything about a solar eclipse happening today while reaching into his pocket for his phone so that he could record it for her. Immediately, when he felt the absence of his phone in his pocket, he turned around sharply to pick it up from his table where he had just been sitting not noticing the waiter who had just passed behind him. Zitao’s sharp movement cause the tray that was being held by the waiter slip, the glass placed on it sliding to one side and starting to fall over the edge just as the sun was blocked out completely. He felt time stop and tremble on a knife’s edge. The sky was dark and Zitao watched the glass stop in mid-air, water droplets falling over the top. Time restarted, slowly, the glass continuing its descent towards the floor, his eyes following as if transfixed. It was almost as if the spiderweb of time had unravelled, pulling his sanity with it as his mind furiously attempted to explain what was happening. Above him a lightbulb broke in slow motion, sparks starting to shower down and Zitao ran, grabbing his phone from the table, pushing open the door and rushing out into the street, not realising that time returned to normal in his panic.

Running through the twisting streets towards his small apartment which he shared with two of his friends, all he could think about was falling petals which were frozen in the air and a deep voice talking to him, coupled with a large frame. He remembered practicing, spinning through the air while a pair of eyes watched on appraisingly, the slowing of time feeling familiar and deliberate. The door of his flat jolted him out of his head, making him wonder how long he had been standing there without purpose. He fished his eyes from out of his pocket and entered the flat, listening for any sounds which would tell him that the other two were there. After hearing nothing, he continued to his room with a frantic pace, pulling open his wardrobe and reaching for the box he kept at the bottom, fingers tapping against the lid. He didn’t know why, but just felt as if he had to look, and so he opened it slowly, eyes widening as he took in the shining necklace that lay nestled between his other junk. 

After being taken in by the Garcia’s Zitao had placed everything he owned in this box. Not that it was much, a necklace, some torn up clothes and a piece of paper with I’m sorry written on it. As he grew up, more and more things were put in the box, filling it up with different memories, the first picture taken with him in it, a letter written by Ren signed with ‘your sister’ and his other things were pushed to the bottom, but now they were brought into the light once more. The slight glow of the necklace was new, as were the numbers written on it, but everything else looked the same


End file.
